Liverpool have reportedly earned £2m from the transfer of Danny Ings from Southampton to Aston Villa due to a sell-on clause.
While the Saints were paid £30m for the Englishman, they are obliged only to pay Liverpool 20% of the profit and after paying the Reds £20m in 2019, we get £2m.
While some fans on social media have jokingly said that bolsters our transfer kitty, Ings’ arrival at Villa Park does raise an interesting transfer question for Michael Edwards and Jurgen Klopp.
UNSPECIFIED, AUSTRIA – AUGUST 01: (THE SUN OUT. THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool talk to his squad during a training session on August 01, 2021 in UNSPECIFIED, France. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Does this open a gap for Liverpool to sign Ollie Watkins?
While Dean Smith would be loath to lose both Jack Grealish and Watkins in one window, if Ings is being signed, it’s unlikely that he’s coming in to sit on the bench.
Neil Jones of Goal reported at the start of July that the Villa hitman is a Liverpool target and if he feels as though his game time is compromised, he might push for a move of his own.
The Merseysiders are in need of a no.9 after Roberto Firmino struggled to find the back of the net last season and Watkins would be a stunning signing.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – JULY 24: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa is tackled by Ben Wilmot of Stoke City during a pre-season friendly match between Stoke City and Aston Villa at Britannia Stadium on July 24, 2021 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Not only is he a great finisher but the Englishman is ferocious when pressing from the front and on more than one occasion last season did he create goals for himself and his teammates through closing down defenders and stealing the ball.
Klopp famously once said: “No playmaker in the world can be as good as a good counter-pressing situation.”
This is what has made Firmino such a key member of the Liverpool team among many other amazing traits the Brazilian possesses.
Unfortunately, as a natural attacking midfielder, he is not a very good finisher and so often finds himself in positions where he lets Liverpool down in front of goal.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MARCH 10: Roberto Firmino of Liverpool FC reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Burnley FC at Anfield on March 10, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)
It’s unfair because he’s not a striker but has played there for long enough to make people forget that – his 2017/18 season was unbelievable as he scored 27 goals and assisted 17.
That season was incredible even by the standards of natural forwards but the time has come for him to either move back into an attacking midfield role in Klopp’s old 4-2-3-1 or share game time with a forward like Watkins.
Transfermarkt values the Englishman at £28.8m and if there is a gap for Liverpool to exploit here, the Reds should not hesitate to pull the trigger on a player that scored 16 goals in his first season with Villa.
